General plan view of Loose Park, Hare and Hare, 1930. North to right; Wornall Road across bottom (east) edge. Note location of rose garden in northwestern corner of the park. Taken from Lee et al. (1995, p. 55).

The tract of land which became Loose Park was in 1864 the site of the Civil War Battle of Westport. With time, it became farmland which at the turn of the 20th century was converted into the golf course of the Kansas City Country Club. Then, when the Country Club moved, these 80 acres of green space at 51st and Wornall Road, just south of the growing Country Club Plaza, were purchased in 1927 for $500,000 by Mrs. Ella Clark Loose. She gave the land to the city as a public park and as a memorial to her late husband, Jacob L. Loose, founder of the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company, now Sunshine Biscuits.

Left: historical marker for the Kansas City Country Club.
Right: statue of Jacob L. Loose given by his wife.

It is hard to imagine a more perfect setting or design for the garden. Park Department landscape architect, S. Herbert Hare, designed a classic concentric rose bed plan encircled with limestone and timber arches and pergolas, centered around a water pool. The initial concept was timeless and has undergone little change from the beginning. The varieties, colors, and vigor of roses have grown more splendid through the years.

General diagram of the rose garden in the late 20th century. North to right. Notice the concentric, circular pattern, elongated slightly in the E-W direction. The west terrace appears at top center of plan. Taken from Lee et al. (1995, inside cover).

Through the years, pageantry has enlivened the garden with the music, dance and ceremony of annual Rose Day celebrations, idyllic Kansas City Ballet performances, and Rose Garden weddings. The KCRS also conducts educational demonstrations, workshops, and Garden Walks, all free to the public. Plans are currently underway to renovate and enhance the west terrace portion of the garden in the near future. The Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden has given a bounty of beauty and pleasure--a treasure and gift for 75 years--and a promise for the future.

Our historical reenactment was taken at about the same time of day (late morning) and year (earliest spring), judging by shadows and status of vegetation. Our vantage point over the northeastern corner of the park was limited to 500 feet (150 m) height; the 1927 airphoto was acquired from higher and farther to the northeast. Compare these views with the original Loose Park design, shown above.

Vertical shots over the rose garden. Left: overview of rose garden and surroundings; north toward side with parked cars. Right: closeup shot of the central rose garden. Rose beds appear clearly; the fountain at center is dry and covered with a tent. Compare these views with the original rose garden design, shown above.